hardbitten
Definition
- Adjective:
- Tough and stubborn: "hardbitten" describes a person who is hardened, resilient, and uncompromising, often as a result of difficult experiences.
- Unsentimental: It can also mean cynical or lacking in sentimentality, especially due to a harsh background.
Usage Examples
- (A tough, experienced detective who is no longer easily affected.)
- (A resilient, unsentimental reporter.)
Advanced Usage
"hardbitten veteran": a person with long, tough experience in a particular field.
- The hardbitten veteran of the business world could spot a scam from a mile away. (An experienced, shrewd person.)
"hardbitten realism": a practical, unromantic view of life.
- His novels are known for their hardbitten realism about urban poverty. (A gritty, unidealized perspective.)
Variants and Related Words
- Hard (adj): firm, solid; difficult.
- Bitten (adj): past participle of "bite"; having been cut or wounded by teeth.
- Hard-bitten (adj): alternative spelling with hyphen, meaning the same as "hardbitten".
Synonyms
- Tough: strong and durable; able to endure hardship.
- Stubborn: unreasonably determined; unwilling to change.
- Resilient: able to recover quickly from difficulties.
Related Idioms
Hard as nails: extremely tough or unfeeling.
- After years in the military, he is hard as nails. (Very tough and unemotional.)
Tough cookie: a person who is strong and determined, not easily upset.
- My grandmother is a tough cookie; she survived the war. (A resilient, strong-willed person.)